Karl Marx and Martineau
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Title: Martineau and Karl Marx
Introduction
Within a social structure, societies tend to proliferate and expand economically. The resources for the progress and how they could be used to achieve dominance, are what the society provides inherently to each community. In a democratic system, there is inequality among people. The only way to conquer these inequalities is to grab the skills and perform better compared to others. This could be possible only if everyone has the same opportunity and equal advantage. During the nineteenth century, both Karl Marx and Martineau developed their theories about why the inequalities are maintained in a system. This essay, by using their sociological explanations, will compare and differentiate their theories about economic inequalities put forward by Karl Marx and Martineau. Finally, this essay is based on the thesis that Marx's critique on capitalism, though a decade old is still viable today; as the gap between rich and poor is increasing, it has become evident that capitalist economic system results in mass exploitation of lower strata (I.e. working class).
Martineau and Karl Marx
Karl Marx is the founder of Communism, his writings remained relevant to the critique of capitalism and why capitalism is devastating. Marx had not gone too far in explaining the ideas of communism, rather it was Lenin who offered a through development into the ideas of communism. So one can argue that Marx contribution to communism was the critique on capitalism. Marx could be more precisely referred to as anti-capitalist ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"AWef7PsO","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marx 2004)","plainCitation":"(Marx 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":762,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"itemData":{"id":762,"type":"book","title":"Capital: A critique of political economy","publisher":"Penguin UK","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Capital","author":[{"family":"Marx","given":"Karl"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marx 2004). The Communist Manifesto written by Marx, was, in reality, a call to the working classes to stand against the economic system and work to bring revolution. The communist manifesto offered the way hoe to stand against the existing economic system but not offered an alternative economic system. In his book, Das Kapital Marx has offered his economic theories. Marx has opined many reasons in this book which he considers would be the reason for the fall of capitalism.
Karl Marx has remained material in his approach awhile, describing the relation between the economy and society. He argued one thing very early in his scholastic career that material approach has been the tool of the capitalist classes ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"iEiz4FrA","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marx 2004)","plainCitation":"(Marx 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":762,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"itemData":{"id":762,"type":"book","title":"Capital: A critique of political economy","publisher":"Penguin UK","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Capital","author":[{"family":"Marx","given":"Karl"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marx 2004). The working classes, on the other hand, becomes their resources and this is how capitalists use to create more opportunities for themselves. He suggests that the only way out of this system is throwing away the system by revolting against it. In doing so, a better and a new system could be made that could comply with what the working class needs. His work has focused over the economy, just for the reason that he considered that the economy leads to the basics of life and the social sphere revolves around economy too ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"7sRoWju5","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marx 1972)","plainCitation":"(Marx 1972)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":764,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9S8QZHCW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9S8QZHCW"],"itemData":{"id":764,"type":"book","title":"The marx-engels reader","publisher":"Norton New York","volume":"4","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Marx","given":"Karl"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1972"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marx 1972). The poor economic conditions led to cause alienation from the self too, which becomes the reason for conflict. In his work titled "Communist Manifesto," he has offered explanations as to how exactly the capitalist economists take advantage of the poor working classes. He explains this relation by presenting the formula that more the exploitation of the working class, more will be the revenues in the hands of the capitalist.
Whereas on the other hand, Martineau offered insight to study societies. She was the most acclaimed sociologist of the nineteenth century. Her mile stonework was a translation of August Comte's work. Through her efforts, the English sociologist was able to learn about Comte's contribution to sociology ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"lOpxEcDC","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","plainCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":768,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"itemData":{"id":768,"type":"book","title":"Harriet Martineau: theoretical and methodological perspectives","publisher":"Psychology Press","volume":"3","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Harriet Martineau","author":[{"family":"Hill","given":"Michael R."},{"family":"Hoecker-Drysdale","given":"Susan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002). Her primary work is related to political economies. She based her opinions over Adam Smith's principles of free trade. She used to write articles in the newspapers to make ordinary people understand as to how to understand things in a better way. Her articles were related to tax, tariff and state's budgeting. In the sociological perspective, she studied the American culture and analyzed it on the stated principles of sociology.
Compared to Marx, Martineau has offered insights into the societal structure. Her analysis if the American society suggests that she remained apprehensive of the presence of slavery in America. She viewed this system of America, in a comparative analysis to the principles of sociology as argued in the Lockean philosophy and the positivist philosophy. She has based her arguments also based on the philosophy of Unitarianism. This shows that she has remained influenced by the non- material forces, unlike that of Karl Marx. She has then expanded her work toward necessarianism ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"HzIP3HBB","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","plainCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":768,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"itemData":{"id":768,"type":"book","title":"Harriet Martineau: theoretical and methodological perspectives","publisher":"Psychology Press","volume":"3","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Harriet Martineau","author":[{"family":"Hill","given":"Michael R."},{"family":"Hoecker-Drysdale","given":"Susan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002). Martineau's in her work has talked about how people could be motivated, and then be made allowed to free form the enslavement that exists ion their minds. She mentions that the principles of interests guide how people use to see their selves as individual life which has all right to enjoy the freedom which exists around them. She has basically referred to as freeing people from the menace of slavery. She has also written much about educating people and how the principle of equity could benefit the people of the society. she argues that if one is able to trap the circumstances on which relations are built, society can easily then move toward the establishment of a just society. In a nutshell, Martineau has focused primarily on the non- material basis, which she thinks should be solved at the very first instance.
Martineau and Karl Marx works- Similarities
Although Martineau has worked quite differently to that of Karl Marx, and her work has remained relevant to the study of a specific community that is American, what is interesting is that she has studied it in the very same manner as what Marx opines in Das Kapital. She has not referred the proper terms as like Marx did, but the ideas in her work remain the same. Marx has generally referred toward capitalism and the working class, which she has proved with the example reasoned over the epistemological understandings of her. She has aligned her work with what Marx have opined and predicted that education and making people free of the enslavement could help in benefiting the societal importance. They both have referred toward capitalism differently. Marx has remained critical on a material basis, whereas Martineau has refereed toward it in a non-material basis which is the enslavement of the mind. There is another similarity in the work of both, which is emphasizing over the root causes of the emergence of such biased systems. Marx has argued about the exploitation of the working classes, whereas Martineau has highlighted the reason such as slavery and the inequities among the people in a society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"B80CcieV","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","plainCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":760,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"itemData":{"id":760,"type":"article-journal","title":"A history of science in society: From philosophy to utility","container-title":"University of Toronto Quarterly","page":"165–166","volume":"75","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"A history of science in society","author":[{"family":"Wigelsworth","given":"Jeffrey R."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2006"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wigelsworth 2006). Marx has also established his stances over the application of society in general. For Marx, capitalism remained the enemy of the society in general and for Martineau slavery was the reason for the inequalities in society.
Martineau and Karl Marx works- Differences
Although they both do agree on some principle understandings in their works, despite this they have some difference too. For example, Marx work has not been based on the epistemological understanding, whereas Martineau has worked over things in an epistemological manner. This basic difference suggests that the ideologies of these two could be conflicting in certain ways ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"XrOYkDDz","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Martineau 2017)","plainCitation":"(Martineau 2017)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":757,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/8QEVG52F"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/8QEVG52F"],"itemData":{"id":757,"type":"book","title":"How to observe morals and manners","publisher":"Routledge","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Martineau","given":"Harriet"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2017"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Martineau 2017). For example, if working classes are on the losing end in Marx works, Martineau's losing end is the destruction of ideas and thoughts. She has called out to society as a whole through the analysis of the particular community. But since in those times, that was the only society that could be called an ideal society, therefore Martineau's audience remains the general society and just not the America community ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"TlsHz7vw","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","plainCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":760,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"itemData":{"id":760,"type":"article-journal","title":"A history of science in society: From philosophy to utility","container-title":"University of Toronto Quarterly","page":"165–166","volume":"75","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"A history of science in society","author":[{"family":"Wigelsworth","given":"Jeffrey R."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2006"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wigelsworth 2006). There are some other differences in both works. For example, Marx has categorized the economy which is material and which has an immediate impact over the situations of the people. Whereas Martineau has referred toward some non- material things such as the lack of freedom to human minds and lack of educational facilities. In simple words, it could be argued that Marx has remained critical and have employed a top to bottom approach to study human behavioral patterns. Martineau's approach, on the other hand, has remained different from Marx which is self-centric and focuses over the bottom to top approach ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"qVgnNPfk","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","plainCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":760,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"itemData":{"id":760,"type":"article-journal","title":"A history of science in society: From philosophy to utility","container-title":"University of Toronto Quarterly","page":"165–166","volume":"75","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"A history of science in society","author":[{"family":"Wigelsworth","given":"Jeffrey R."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2006"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wigelsworth 2006).
Why the difference matter
The differences matter over the ideas of capitalism put forward by Marx. Although Martineau has not come in the opposition of the ideas of Marx, her ideas also not somehow conforms to what Marx has opined for capitalism. For example, considering the thesis of this essay one can argue that if capitalism takes away the opportunities from the poor ones than hoe Martineau's ideas offer an alternative to capitalism ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"cg2vdtXo","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marx 1972)","plainCitation":"(Marx 1972)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":764,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9S8QZHCW"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/9S8QZHCW"],"itemData":{"id":764,"type":"book","title":"The marx-engels reader","publisher":"Norton New York","volume":"4","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Marx","given":"Karl"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1972"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marx 1972). For example, if Marx critique on capitalism is true than what Martineau has to offer as an alternate. This contradictions in the ideas of both suggest that they differ in the very basic tenet of their philosophical understandings. The other reason why the difference between these both matter is the way they have completed their philosophical inquiries. Marx has directly criticized capitalism as the foe factor. He has taken this approach in all his work and has suggested the solutions. Whereas Martineau offers insight just to the very basic drawback in society. Martineau thinks that inequalities among the resource distribution are the reason for the disturbed sociological structures, whereas Marx mentions that just the wrong way of earning results in the inequality in society ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"hQQDwMgu","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Marx 2004)","plainCitation":"(Marx 2004)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":762,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/XSY2QZZR"],"itemData":{"id":762,"type":"book","title":"Capital: A critique of political economy","publisher":"Penguin UK","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Capital","author":[{"family":"Marx","given":"Karl"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2004"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Marx 2004). Their differences matter because, in an attempt to explore the root causes of societal disturbances, they both have different solutions to address the problems of society.
The reasons for the differences
Although both Marx and Martineau belonged to the same period of the time, they both have analyzed different societal circumstance. This differences led their inquiries to result differently. For Marx, the unjust distribution of wealth was not the reason for concern and neither had he considered slavery as the reason for economic injustices ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Wa3KSYkv","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","plainCitation":"(Wigelsworth 2006)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":760,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/5LRS43UL"],"itemData":{"id":760,"type":"article-journal","title":"A history of science in society: From philosophy to utility","container-title":"University of Toronto Quarterly","page":"165–166","volume":"75","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"A history of science in society","author":[{"family":"Wigelsworth","given":"Jeffrey R."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2006"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wigelsworth 2006). The reason for the difference remained the way they both have looked toward the issues of society. Marx differs because he places the working class in the forefront and analyzes the system. Martineau, on the other hand, puts forward the slavery and views things in the same manner. A very general reason for their difference is also their understanding of societal issues. Marx has never looked toward things in a non-material way as like Martineau. Nonmaterial for Marx results in just the emergence of new problems and offers no solution to problems. Nonmaterial for him also not result in shaping better opportunities for the future. Unless some concrete measures in terms of changing the material circumstances are not taken over the economy will keep on benefitting the capitalist class. Martineau, on the other hand, offers a very nonmaterial solution. Her way of addressing such pressing concerns of the society is not based on the pretext of economies, rather on the pretext of values and ideals.
Sociological importance of Martineau and Karl Marx works
In a sociological perspective, the works of both Martineau and Marx remains significant. They both have addressed the issues of society. They have viewed the root causes of the inequalities differently and therefore have offered the solution in a different manner. For both these sociologists, the lower strata of the society remain for the primary concern ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"SnjgRJ2Q","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","plainCitation":"(Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":768,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/SQNC4EXT"],"itemData":{"id":768,"type":"book","title":"Harriet Martineau: theoretical and methodological perspectives","publisher":"Psychology Press","volume":"3","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Harriet Martineau","author":[{"family":"Hill","given":"Michael R."},{"family":"Hoecker-Drysdale","given":"Susan"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2002"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Hill and Hoecker-Drysdale 2002). They have based their opinions on the notion that if the society remains intolerant toward the lower strata of the society. It can result in the up emergence of a misbalanced society. Since they both have much difference of opinions in the manners they have taken things, therefore they lack in assimilating their ideologies to present any solution. Their work offers an in-depth understanding of the issues in a society, which offers the students of sociology to study society as a general phenomenon ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"4qlh4T3f","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Freedgood 1995)","plainCitation":"(Freedgood 1995)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":770,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/26VR2S8E"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/26VR2S8E"],"itemData":{"id":770,"type":"article-journal","title":"Banishing Panic: Harriet Martineau and the Popularization of Political Economy","container-title":"Victorian Studies","page":"33–53","volume":"39","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Banishing Panic","author":[{"family":"Freedgood","given":"Elaine"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1995"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Freedgood 1995). Their works also offer an understanding to study the root causes as to why society remains reluctant in addressing the issues of the lower classes in society.
Conclusion
Society is still an important constituent of human civilization. The ideas presented by these thinkers are still valid as they were at those times. The world of today is based on the very notion of the economy which Marx presented centuries before. The major economic institution of today is set on the notion of capitalism. The middle-income countries and the people living there are subject to the negative effects of the capitalist economy of today ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"9C7httUi","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Freedgood 1995)","plainCitation":"(Freedgood 1995)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":770,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/26VR2S8E"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/26VR2S8E"],"itemData":{"id":770,"type":"article-journal","title":"Banishing Panic: Harriet Martineau and the Popularization of Political Economy","container-title":"Victorian Studies","page":"33–53","volume":"39","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Banishing Panic","author":[{"family":"Freedgood","given":"Elaine"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["1995"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Freedgood 1995). Similarly, slavery not in its classic sense but in the form of exploitation is there. Such issues of today, therefore, suggest that capitalism is as much destructive today as it was in the times of Marx. To eliminate such ills from the international monetary system, one needs to look toward the alternatives offered by Marx. Similarly, to end the mass exploitation of the people today, they are needed to be provided with equal opportunities.
References:
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Freedgood, Elaine. 1995. “Banishing Panic: Harriet Martineau and the Popularization of Political Economy.” Victorian Studies 39(1): 33–53.
Hill, Michael R., and Susan Hoecker-Drysdale. 2002. 3 Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives. Psychology Press.
Martineau, Harriet. 2017. How to Observe Morals and Manners. Routledge.
Marx, Karl. 1972. 4 The Marx-Engels Reader. Norton New York.
———. 2004. Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Penguin UK.
Wigelsworth, Jeffrey R. 2006. “A History of Science in Society: From Philosophy to Utility.” University of Toronto Quarterly 75(1): 165–166.
